Roller-bearing wheel.



No. 796,456- PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. J. N. SANCHEZ.

ROLLER BEARING WHEEL.

APPLICATION rump MAR. 1, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROLLER-BEARING WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, V 1905.

Application filed March 1, 1905. Serial No. 247,937;

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH N. SANcHEz, citizen of the United States,residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Roller-Bearing Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wheels, and in particular to car-wheels, andhas for its object to provide an improved antifriction-bearing for suchtype of wheels wherein wear is reduced to the minimum and the partsubject to wear may be conveniently replaced.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangements of parts, aswill be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanyingdrawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, itbeing-understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minordetails may be made within the scope of the claims without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of awheel embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is anelevation of the wheel with the faceplate removed therefrom. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the removable segment.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings.

Under the present invention it is proposed to have the body of the wheelfixed upon a non-rotatable axle and to equip the body of the wheel witha rotatable tread or rim portion mounted to run concentrically upon thebody and to interpose antifriction devices between the body and thetread of the wheel, so as to insure a smooth and steady running of thewheel.

As embodied in the accompanying drawings, the present form of wheelincludes a solid cylindrical body 1, which is cast or otherwise fixedupon an axle 2, projected at opposite ends of the body. This body isprovided at its inner end with an annular diskshaped flange 3, flushwith the inner end of the wheel and projected at a predetermineddistance beyond the periphery ofthe body portion 1. A ring orcylindrical shell 4 of greater diameter than the diameter of the bodyportion 1 is fitted concentrically upon the latter and against theflange 3, there being an annular space between the body 1 and the ring4. The outer periphery of the ring 4: has a diameter somewhat less thanthe diameter of the flange 3 and is designed to form the tread of thewheel, said ring being provided at its inner end with an externalannular flange or rim 5 of the same diameter as the flange 3, so as tobe flush with the periphery thereof, the two flanges constituting therim of the wheel and the flange 3 constituting a brace or backing forthe comparatively thin ring portion 5. A series of antifriction devices,such as rollers 6, isinterposed between the body 1 of the wheel and therim 4, and a face-plate 7, having a central opening 8, is fitted uponthe outer end of the axle 2 and flat against the outer ends of the body-1 and the rim A, there being threaded fastenings 9 piercing theface-plate 7 and entering the body of the wheel to detachably connectthe former to the latter, and thereby retain the rim 4: and theantifriction-roller in place between the flange 3 and'the plate 7. Itwill of course be understood that the outer end of the body portion 1projects slightly beyond the outer ends of the antifriction-rollers andthe outer end of the rim 4 in order that there may be sufficient roomfor the ring 4 to rotate uninterruptedly concentrically upon the bodyportionl and to permit of'the uninterrupted rotation of the individualantifrictionrollers. The face-plate 7 is slightly less in diameter thanthe external diameter of the ring or tread member 4 in order that theremay be no possibility of the fixed plate 7 dragging upon therailway-track, as will be clearly understood by reference to Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, wherein 10 designates an ordinary rail with the wheel ofthe present invention supported thereon in the ordinary manner of acar-wheel.

In view of the fact that the members 3 and 7 are fixed or non-rotatableand the member 4 is rotatable between these members foreign matter isliable to work through the joints between the members 3, 4, and 7 andinto the bearing of the rotatable member 4 upon the fixed member 1. Toovercome this objection, the ring 4 is provided upon its inner face withan annular rib 11, working in a corresponding annular groove 12 in theinner face of the flange 3, while the other end of the ring is providedwith an annular groove 13, in which is received an annular rib 14 uponthe inner face of the plate 7, whereby the joints between the members 3,4, and 7 are interrupted and the ingress of foreign matter is prevented.

It will here be explained that the weight of the car-truck of coursecomes upon the axle 2, and in turn the weight and the consequent wearthereof comes upon the lower peripheral portion of the body 1, whereforeit is proposed to have this lower peripheral portion replaceable in thefollowing manner: The lower peripheral edge portion of the body 1 is cutaway or rendered flat, as at 15, and midway of the ends of thisflattened portion there is a dovetailed recess or seat 16. To fill outthe complete periphery of the wheel, there is a removable segment 17,corresponding identically to the part removed from the body, and thispart is provided with a dovetailed projection or key 18 upon its flatside to snugly and removably fit within the dovetailed seat 16, so as toprevent creeping of the segment 17 when the latter is fitted in placeand the face-plate 7 is secured to the body. When the convexed edge ofthe segment becomes worn, the axle is jacked up, the faceplate 7removed, and the worn segment replaced bya new segment, after-which theface-plate is replaced and the wheel let down upon the rail, whereby theworn portion is replaced in a very simple and convenient manner.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the wheel ofthe present invention is exceedingly simple, durable, and

' inexpensive, and the parts thereof may be assembled in a veryconvenient manner. Moreover, the removable parts 4, 6, 7, and 17 may bereadily replaced when worn or damaged, whereby the wheel may beconveniently and inexpensively maintained in a proper working condition.

While the axle 2 has been shown projected at the outer side of the wheelin order that this projected portion may fit in the usual journalbox,and thereby obviate changes in the manner of connecting the axle and thecar-truck, it is of course apparent that the projected axle portion maybe dispensed with and the intermediate portion of the axle connected tothe car-truck in any approved manner without affecting the spirit of thepresent invention.

A very important feature of the present invention resides in the factthat 1 am enabled to employ graphite or other powdered or granularlubricant for the antifriction-rollers and the bearing peripheral facesof the wheelbody and the tread-ring, thereby obviating the inconvenienceof frequently supplying the bearing with oil, as in ordinary bearingsfor car-wheels, for the reason that graphite does not work out of thebearing and become evaporated to the same extent as lubricatingoil.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. A wheelcomprising a cylindrical body having a peripheral flange at one end, atreadring rotatably embracing the body, and a faceplate secured to theother end of the body and lapping the adjacent end of the ring torotatably hold the latter upon the body between the flange thereof andthe plate, there being annular tongue-and-groove joints between theflange, the ring and the face-plate.

2. A wheel comprising a cylindrical body havinga peripheral flange atone end, a treadring rotatably encircling the body and provided at itsinner end with an external annular rim working against the flange and ofequal diameter therewith, and a face-plate secured to the other end ofthe body and lapping the adjacent end of the ring to rotatably retainthe latter between the flange and the plate.

3. A wheel comprising a cylindrical body, a rotatable tread-ringencircling and working upon the body, and a replaceable segmentalperipheral portion for the body at the point of wear thereon.

4. The combination of an internal cylindrical member and an externalring member loosely embracing the periphery of the cylindrical member,one of the members being rotatable and the other non-rotatable, and oneof the members having a replaceable peripheral portion at the point ofwear thereon.

5. The combination of an internal cylindrical member and an externalring member loosely encircling the cylindrical member, one of thesemembers being non-rotatable and the other rotatable, and one of themembers having a replaceable peripheral portion provided with adovetailed key-and-socket connection therewith, the replaceable portionbeing located at the point of wear.

6. A wheel comprising a cylindrical body having a replaceable peripheralportion at the bottom thereof, and a tread-ring encircling the body androtatable thereon.

7. The combination with a stationary axle, of a cylindrical wheel-bodyfixed thereon and provided at one end with an external annular flangeprojected beyond the periphery of the body, a tread-ring rotatablyencircling the periphery of the body and provided at its inner end withan external annular rim working against the flange of the body andcorrespondingin diameter thereto, and a face-plate detachably secured tothe other end of the body and lapping the adjacent end of the ring,there being annular tongue-and-groove In testimony that I claim theforegoing as joints between the flange of the Wheel, the my own I havehereto alfixed my signature in ring and the face-plate, the bottomperiphthe presence of two witnesses.

eral edge of the wheel-body having a replace- JOSEPH N. SANCHEZ. ablesegmental portion provided with a dove- Witnesses:

tailed key-and-socket detachable connection J. H. J OOHUM, Jr.,

with the body. J. Ross COLHOUN.

